Game 2 draws record Stanley Cup ratings

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NEW YORK, June 1 (UPI) -- Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers earned record ratings for NBC Sports, officials said Tuesday.

The league said the Monday night contest, which Chicago won 2-1 to take a 2-games-to-none lead in the championship series, earned the best overnight rating (4.1 rating and 7 share) for a Game 2 in records stretching back to 1975, NHL.com reported.

That figure was a 21 percent improvement over the 3.4 rating garnered for Game 2 of last year's series between Detroit and Pittsburgh.

NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins said viewership peaked at a 4.7 rating and 8 share from 10:30-11 p.m., adding that the Chicago market delivered a 25.1/39 while Philadelphia earned an 18.5/29.

"These historic viewership numbers are the result of compelling stories and great play on the ice, two markets on fire for their teams, terrific coverage by our North American television partners, and a season's worth of unprecedented fan engagement on multiple platforms across North America," Collins said.